OWNERSHIP IN LEADERSHIP CASE STUDY | EARLY AUTISM SERVICES HOW A NEW MODEL OF LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR AUTISM SERVICE PROVIDERS SHIFTED PERCEPTION AND OWNERSHIP FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF 500 EMPLOYEES
CONTENTS CHALLENGES
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OUTCOMES
THE SOLUTION
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TESTIMONIALS 10
THE PROGRAM
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THE PACKAGE
THE RESULTS
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BACKGROUND OUR TEAM | Decades of Experience
OUR CLIENT | New Growth Challenges
For close to 20 years, the Global Autism Project has been providing sustainable clinical,
Early Autism Services (EAS) provides individualized ABA therapy to children with autism and support to their families living across the United States, Australia, and India. After impressive expansion, EAS faced multiple challenges that are common among high-growth companies:
administrative, and leadership training to professionals around the world. The Global Autism Project’s transformational leadership program has always been at the foreground of the support provided. This training has empowered professionals to become strong leaders at their centers and leading ABA providers in their communities.
Poor Communication: The executive team noted communication as the number one challenge in multiple capacities. High Perception of Burnout: 86% of supervisors said that they were in a state of burnout, overwhelm, or seeking inspiration within their work. Low Job Satisfaction: Nearly 70% of polled employees said that they consider quitting their job “occasionally" or have considered quitting “in the last month or year." Silo Mentality: Over 90% of respondents reported feeling disconnected from the culture and goals of the organization as a whole. Ineffective Leadership Development: 89.86% of participants said that previous leadership training was either "Non-existent" or "Terrible."
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THE SOLUTION A CO-CREATED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE, AND SUSTAIN. In the face of challenges, Early Autism Services took action. The executive board made it a priority to improve the company environment through aligning culture and investing in their employees. In the midst of searching, Ms. J. Llorca, EAS Chief Clinical Officer, had a chance to attend an in-person Leadership Academy organized by the Global Autism Project in January of 2020. In September 2020, Early Autism Services invited the Global Autism Project in for initial assessment and started a partnership to co-design a sustainable and scalable leadership training program.
ASSESSED CURRENT SITUATION 1-1 interviews with C-level executives Focus Group Assessment with the Clinical Directors Town-hall with all BCBAs, RBTs and admin staffs Initial survey for all staffs
DESIGNED BENCHMARK REFERENCE Analyze collected data to diagnose team problems Intensively discuss with EAS Board Member to set goals and objectives. Design benchmark for evaluations including worklife balance, skill acquisitions and company perception.
CO-CREATED BESPOKE PROGRAM
START WITH CLINICAL DIRECTORS
Co-create program philosophy and principles. Multiple feedback session on Digital Lessons, Live Classroom, Assignments, and Small Group Coaching. Survey for availability and fix meeting times.
Present initial data to discuss specific team challenges. Analyze observation benchmark for CDs. Program testing with Clinical Directors for feedback.
6-WEEK PROGRAM LAUNCHES
REVIEW & MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
Three-level Program Launch: C-level executives, Clinical Directors, BCBAs, and staffs. Weekly upload of contents, assignments, reflections, and feedback forms. Weekly small group coaching to ensure understanding and engagement.
Post-Program survey with all staffs for quantified data Post-program focus groups for qualified feedback. Summarize results, including data analysis and report. Set-up sustainable coaching plans moving forward.
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THE PROGRAM DIGITAL LESSONS Participants managed their own participation by engaging with online lessons. Digital contents include video lessons, worksheets, and downloads, to "on the court" assignments – throughout the week based on their schedules.
LIVE CLASSROOM Each week we held a one-hour live, virtual classroom for all participants to join. This classroom focused on expanding on content presented in the portal and allowed participants to ask questions, share, and discuss topics. Live classrooms wavailable through 6 weeks of the course/
ASSIGNMENTS
SMALL GROUP COACHING
We facilitated goal-setting and project creation to maintain participant focus on the future application of concepts. Participants had practical exercises to begin implementing strategies from lessons immediately.
Weekly, participants were split into teams for 1.5 hours of "Small Group Coaching" weekly. In this, participants would share real-life scenarios related to topics and receive coaching from Global Autism Project team.
THE WEEKLY CONTENT WEEK ONE Discovering unknown barriers Considering all possible outcomes Identifying what is essential Analyzing influencing factors to specific outfomes
WEEK TWO Increasing objectivity in your listening Reframing difficult conversations Discovering what is true Prioritizing your "why"
WEEK THREE
WEEK FOUR
Evaluating Integrity Identifying upper limit problems Illustrating authenticity Redefining what it means to be a powerful leader
Discovering leadership style Identifying barriers to your leadership style Creating new possibilities as a leader Implementing the "Five Whys" method
WEEK FIVE Illustrating autonomy & alignment Distinguishing between "Working On" vs "Working In" Comparing responsibility and accountability
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WEEK SIX Examining self-care Constructing a framework for problem solving Identifying what you tolerate Choosing to be at cause
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THE RESULTS | SUMMARY After the 6-week Leadership Academy program, the Early Autism Services team has experienced a positive shift in mindset, perception with the practical skillset and toolkit: JOB SATISFACTION | 88% of participants reported a positive shift in their work. Following the 6-week program, 62% of previously "burnt-out" or "overwhelmed" participants said they are now "happy" or "thriving" in work. SKILL ACQUISITION | 100% of participants reported new skill acquisition in one or more of four critical areas due to Leadership Academy. The top two critical areas in which participants reported new skills were Time & Task Management , and Decision-Making. PROGRAM EXPERIENCE | Following the 6-week course, 94% of the Leadership Academy participants said they would recommend the program to professionals in the field; while before beginning the program, 69% of
the participants reported feeling hesitant,
negative, or concerned the program "wouldn't be worth their time." PROGRAM APPLICABILITY | 84% of the participants said the program was either very or extremely applicable for this field, their daily work, and personal lives.
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RESULTS | JOB SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION OF WORKLOAD Participant answers to the question, "Do you ever consider quitting your job?"
To measure improvements or shifts in perception of workload, our team developed a benchmark to assess workload perception as an indicator of job satisfaction before and after the program.
BEFORE AFTER
PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS
40%
0%
Before Leadership Academy, 65.1% of the participants said they thought about quitting their jobs. During focus groups and entrance interviews, our team recorded "indicators of quitting" when staff members reported feeling "overwhelm" or "burnout" in response to questions about their perception of their workloads. The Global Autism Project team determined "job satisfaction and perception of workload" would be a key area of focus throughout the program.
"Burnout" and "Overwhelm" = at risk of quitting
"Seeking Inspiration" = in need of development
"Happy" and "Thriving" = strong leader potential
Before Leadership Academy, 62% of participants reported they were in a cycle of "burnout" or "overwhelm" After the program, 88% of participants reported a positive shift in their workload perception, and 100% of participants who previously reported "burnout" reported a positive change in their perception of work and job satisfaction
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PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS
RESULTS | NEW SKILL ACQUISITION
Leadership Academy was designed to improve skill and performance in 4 key areas across EAS: communication, integrity and follow-through, decision-making, time and task management. The top two skills acquired, as reported by participants, were in the areas of Time &Task Management (80%) and Decision-Making (78%).
Additionally, 100% of participants reported noticeable new skills in at lease one of the 4 targeted areas for improvement, as a direct result of Leadership Academy. Furthermore, 70% reported skill gains in 3 or more targeted performance areas, all of which directly impact their ability to manage their workloads and own their outcomes
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RESULTS | EXPERIENCE OF THE PROGRAM When asked, "How do you feel about Leadership Academy before beginning the program?"
In response to, "How would you rate your experience of the following, using this 1-5 scale?"
While nearly 70% of participants felt hesitant and unsure of the program before it began...
94% of participants said they would recommend Leadership Academy to professionals in this field 1 = Terrible
Excellect = 5
84% of participants reported the content of Leadership Academy as either "applicable" or "extremely applicable" to their work and lives 9
TESTIMONIALS | EAS EXECUTIVE TEAM
"I really appreciated the way that you all stewarded this process. I've appreciated that along the way it was very clear that you, as a team, take this very seriously. You really are passionate about what you all do. I hope this case study catapults others to say 'Yes! Why would we not do this?' -Benjamin Wessels Chief Executive Officer
"After Leadership Academy when people ask me for things, I will look at the request differently and approach my responses with ways that we can create opportunity and room for it versus thinking 'we don't normally do that.'" -Mareiko Au Chief Operations Officer
"It helped reset the mindset of our leadership team so now that we are more aligned. What I received was the training needed so that everyone is on the same page with the same messaging." -Angela Pao-Johnson Director of Strategic Planning
“Daily I hear people reminding each other about the concepts they've learned and they can be seen utilizing the tools themselves. The program has made a huge impact on my own life, professionally and personally. People around me have made special mention of those changes and it makes me feel like anything is possible!” -Jenny Llorca Chief Clinical Officer
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TESTIMONIALS | CLINIC DIRECTORS & BCBA PARTICIPANTS “I was able to gain perspectives that I never would've had the chance to learn from my peers until we were in a setting like leadership academy where we were all challenged, vulnerable, and honest. By connecting in this setting, my communication skills have been improved. I feel as though I have become a better listener, and am constantly seeking opportunities to learn and grow with others.” - Julie Janmey, BCBA
Being reminded of why I'm doing what I'm doing was an eyeopener. It wasn't something I had thought about in years, probably. It reminded me that I got into this field not only for my fascination of human behavior but to truly help others improve their lives (individuals, families). At the end of the day that's all I want to do and being asked "why?" rejuvenated my motivation. -Kelly Collins, BCBA & Clinical Director "It's more than you could imagine it to be. If you work as a leader in autism, I guarantee you will relate to this training and come out as a different person than you were when you started! A brighter, shiner you... maybe even closer to the fresh-green-eyed inspired autism professional you were when first started working in this field." - Leadership Academy Participant, BCBA
"I am finding myself using the tools learned in class to navigate my life. Things have become a lot more manageable now that I am able to say "no" and I don't take on more than I can bear. I strongly believe in protecting my peace because its sacred. When I am at peace, then I am able to perform my job and give it my all." - Leadership Academy Participant, BCBA
"I feel that I'm now better equipped to intentionally react to situations that would have been challenging in the past." -Courtney Zonca, BCBA & Clinic Director "The Global Autism Project held the same expectations during Zoom as they would in an in-person meeting. It was a different feel than the 'typical' zoom meetings we are all experiencing throughout this pandemic." - Kaylie Elias, BCBA & Clinic Director "I'm even more excited about my professional career now, because I feel great about the impact I've made professionally so far, and to now know how my improvement personally will impact my professional life even more... it's going to be an exciting journey to see what's next for me!" - Leadership Academy Participant, BCBA
"Do it, even if you don't think you have time in your busy schedule! You won't regret it." -Marcie Lalapi, BCBA
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THE PACKAGE | DETAILS OF COLLABORATION WITH EAS Early Autism Services (EAS) chose to build a custom Leadership Academy package with Global Autism Project. Below you will find the contents of the package which lead to the results discussed within this case study.
1:1 Executive Coaching. 6 Months of personalized Executive Coaching provided by Global Autism Project executive-level staff. A bi-weekly one-toone hour and a half coaching session by phone with 3 EAS board members. Clinic Director Coaching. 1 Month of small group Leadership coaching with all Clinic Directors within the US, prior to the start of Leadership Academy. Leadership Academy Program. 6-Week co-created Leadership program for all company BCBAs within the US, and 3 executive board members. Clinic Director Project Planning Training. 6-Month coaching with all Clinic Directors within the US. Coaching includes guided project planning, budgeting workshop, and support with project implementation. Virtual Support. 40 hours a week of available virtual support from the Global Autism Project team.
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